


Unwanted Bittnerness

by BlackKittens



Category: Big Hero 6 (2014)
Genre: Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-05-19 16:54:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19360924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackKittens/pseuds/BlackKittens
Summary: Naoko Tanaka never wanted to be the woman in Mr. Krei's life, but that doesn't stop her from being jealous when Abigail Callaghan becomes that woman instead.





	Unwanted Bittnerness

**Author's Note:**

> I'm giving myself a little challenge to write short fics for a bit. I'm still working on my other WIPs, but since most of them are stupidly long (which is partially why I never finish them - I either lose interest or writer's block kicks in), I want to force myself to keep a story short. So for a little while, I'll be posting 500-1000ish word stories. They might not be the best lol. Figuring out how to end these is surprisingly hard. But hey, you can't learn until you try and get some practice in, right?
> 
> I'm actually really happy I'm writing and finishing these as quick as I am. They might not be the best, but it's more fulfilling than letting them sit as unfinished, untouched ideas. :)
> 
> I'm using my headcanon name for Krei's assistant here. I ship him with both her and Abigail, so I decided to write a one-sided thing from her perspective in the case where he does get with Abigail. I hope you enjoy!

Naoko Tanaka, as Alistair Krei's personal assistant, liked to believe she knew more about the man than most others did. She even knew things she wished she didn't know - not because they were awful, embarrassing, or inappropriate, but because some things simply went past the line between professional and personal, and Naoko wasn't interested in learning about her boss' personal life. Not really. She'd never been one for secrets, gossip, or the extreme of blackmail.

Like Mr. Krei's interest in the Callaghan woman. As far as Naoko was aware, there had been nothing between them during Project Silent Sparrow, nothing more than a friendly shared interest in teleportation. Now, however, somehow, after her father tried to take his life for supposedly murdering his little girl, the return of Abigail Callaghan has sparked a new interest in the woman. Which lead to a deeper interest. Which lead to Naoko knowing more than she would have liked about her boss.

The two were a couple. It was kept secret from the public, and Naoko had no idea if Abigail's father knew (likely not, in her opinion, but she knew even less about either Callaghan than she did that new superhero team, Big Hero 6 - which was fine by her, honestly). Mr. Krei left during the work day, sometimes, to meet up with her. There have been a few instances where he's offered her a job at his company, now that she was out of work. One day, Miss Callaghan accepted it, and suddenly Krei Tech had a new aerodynamics department in the works as one of the company's latest expansions past computer and phone technology. Guess who was the unofficial head of it.

Naoko had caught them a few times, lingering in his office past schedule. Never doing anything scandalous, to her relief, but it was clear to her they were a romantic couple. They way they spoke, leaned too close to one another, laughed in their assumed privacy, it said it all. And when their relationship finally became public, she felt like she was the only one who'd known all along.

It was none of Naoko's business. She still doesn't care to learn more about their relationship. Mr. Krei is her boss, who she maintains a professional closeness with, and Miss Callaghan is a lovely woman, who surprisingly keeps Mr. Krei on his toes and more honest than usual, reigning him in when he starts to get too slimy in the wrong direction. Naoko's not interested in the quiet, jealous bitterness that creeps along at the bottom of her heart.

She never had a chance with Mr. Krei. She never wanted a chance with him. Naoko isn't stupid enough to risk her career on the off-chance of a genuine romance with a wealthy CEO who happens to be her boss. What would more likely happen would be that she'd become a side fling he could woo and throw away, fire if he desired, when he was done with her. Not that he ever showed any interest in wooing her in the first place; it was just that she hadn't ever wanted to take the chance. Naoko got into this business with the intention of moving up, not getting cheated via disregarding the line between professional and personal. If he were still single, she still would not make a move.

But it burns her, every now and then. Abigail was not a side fling. She didn't get her job as a way of wooing, nor because Mr. Krei wanted to keep her close. The aerodynamics department was quickly becoming a success. Mr. Krei brightened around her, and to his investors' disgust, he's been losing a bit of his sliminess, and they were a shockingly sweet couple at times. An engagement ring now sat on Abigail's finger, and Naoko wished it was her.

She won't do anything, though. That wasn't why she got into this business. She needs a professional closeness and personal distance from Mr. Krei, and Abigail is lovely to her. Naoko didn't enjoy the jealous bitterness within her, and she'd never liked personal secrets, gossip, or blackmail. Besides, if she did try something, it'd likely end against her career, with no benefit in either direction for her.

Nevertheless, she hated it. It should have been her, the bitterness told her, and it should have been her, should have been her, should have been her. Instead, it was Abigail. Abigail, who was this close to becoming almost like a work friend to her. Abigail, who she couldn't bring herself to hate even if she wanted to in the first place.

All she could do was suck it up. It's not like this was the most important aspect of her life. Naoko had more important goals and aspirations, much more worthy of her time. She focused on those, while the happy couple celebrated their engagement and success. It was better this way.

But the bitterness was still there, and she didn't know when it would go away.


End file.
